The use of storage containers or bins formed from synthetic resin materials or plastics is well known. Plastic rectangular containers which are open at the top have various industrial commercial, and domestic applications. Such bins have four sides and a bottom, and often have handles disposed near the top of two opposite sides to facilitate carrying the bins. The bins are often stackable top to bottom. Legs or protrusions disposed on the outer bottom surface of the containers fit within the top opening of another container to permit easy top to bottom stacking. Although these contains are stackable top to bottom, they are not readily and securely stackable bottom or top to top.
When the containers are empty one container is often placed sideways within a second container and then to place a third container on top of the second container so that the second and third containers have their top open surfaces meeting. This saves space in storing and transporting empty containers. However, this nested configuration of three containers is not readily and securely stackable on another nested set of three containers, with the bottom of one container of the stack disposed against the bottom of one container of another stack.
Moreover, in stacking two containers top to top so that one container is rightside up and the other container is upside down, with or without a sideways container in between the outer two containers, there are no known simple and convenient methods for fastening two containers top to top. One known method is to tie the two containers together by threading a separate plastic tie through holes near the top surface in the side walls of the containers to secure them together. However, this is time consuming and cumbersome and requires the use of additional plastic tying devices.